Saturday, August 14, 2010

Nag Panchami In Mumbai 2010

Earlier snake charmers freely moved around Mumbai but I have never spotted one till date , though I am fascinated with snakes and shot the snake festival in Battis Shirala near Ichalkaranji Sangli , despite the ban and stiff fine imposed for shooting snake pictures.


These are snakes made in eco friendly material for the Nag Panchami puja.

I shot the Nag Panchami feast at the Jari Mari temple on SV Road Bandra.


Today is my third fast I shot the station road the Badi Masjid and the compound area to share with you the fervor off Ramzan..

Indian fests are compatibility of the human spirit in spite of religious diversity.

Documenting the Spirit of Ramzan..

Iftar Time At JJ Colony at Bandra West

137,162 items / 1,061,935 views

This a part of my set on Ramzan Mubarak 2010 at Flickr.

I shot this on the first day of Ramzan a few hours before the breaking of the fast , and the vendors were all out with yummiest delicacies for the Rozdars of Bandra.

I will show you Minara Masjid and Bohri Mohall later , but JJ Colony is close up my alley , you can come to JJ Colony lane through various connecting lanes from Lucky Hotel lane on the main road , or through Anjuman e Islam girls school lane this is the JJ Colony lane or from Banddra Hill road via Jain Mandir Road.

This is mini Bhendi Bazar in ethos and predominantly Muslim population burkhas skull caps etc.

Most of the stuff here is delicious and cheap, fruits are expensive but cheaper than what you get on the main road stalls.

Mohomed Bhai is selling bhajiyas etc he was the pani purii guy at Bandra Bazar oad.


The seekh kababs and two eateries one owned by the local butcher supply food too are in the Lucky Hotel or jamakhana lane.

I am not an expert food writer but you can try out the stuff here..the people are friendly , next to the Kebab guy is a Tanduri roti guy you can take the rotis from him and make a roll with the kebabs,

Near the JJ Colony there are little kids selling tilis and other mother made home food.

The JJ Colony area is not the cleanest of places but the stuff is clean hygienic.

All this you can see through pictures I shot of this lane and all on Ramzan set at Flickr.

It was my first fast and I was quite tired as I am a diabetic too, my insulin intake timing have changed so it is a bit fuzzy in my head when I go about work my body, trying to get used to the new routine.

Life In The Slums

137,093 items / 1,061,653 views

Taking the atta to the chakki
waiting in line for the kerosene
working relentlessly
like a mule
picking up
altaf razia
reshma
moin
mohomed
zoeb
from the school
cooking
for miya
his mother
his sisters
his brothers
her hands
totally full
first day
of the holy month
of ramzan
she does
not loose her cool
in the silhouette
of the hijab
her life going
round and round
a whirlpool
Allah provides
she told me
the only
golden rule

These are pictures shot on the first day of Ramzan the Holy Month a series documenting the slums and the Iftar time shopping all part of my Bandra Blogs and a set on Flickr..Ramzan Mubarak 2010.

A set I shall update with pictures related to roza and life during the fasting season..

Cry My Beloved Country

137,088 items / 1,061,636 views

there is nothing
you can do
hide
your shame
your nakedness
with a piece
of cloth
thats what
they left for you
blow after blow
beaten
black and blue
mother India
you will rise
from the ashes
all anew
it was
only your bank
balance they
took from you
the greatest wealth
is intact
your motherhood
your virtue

Does Freedom Matter ?

137,087 items / 1,061,624 views


Does Freedom matter
the Games of Life continues
common wealth for
a handful needs no excuse
every Second a new scam in the news
...we the people are guilty
of whom we choose
either way ..

WE LOSE

Ghazni
Ghori
only robbed
the Somnath
temple
the new
marauders
rob our
heritage too
robbing
the soul
of our nation
we watch helplessly
we can only clap
our hands in fear
just as eunuchs do
they who pillage
our country's common
wealth love our India
more than me and you
the game of fraud
is more
important
honor glory
integrity
with a beggar running
the marathon
with a beggars bowl
it is true


inspired by a facebook comment

Jai Maharashtra

37,082 items / 1,061,594 views

she
is Aiiee
the re surging
soul
of my motherhood
in the state where
I live
she
is the beacon
of light
we follow
falter forgive
57 years
of my life
in the state
of maharashtra
now my
cultural ethos
my dharma
my karma
to my children
their children
I give
I was born
in Lucknow
but on my parched soul
Jai Maharashtra
will out live


More important credentials of Man regarding the country or the soil on which he lives his love , his passion his drive , love and duty .
My parents came to Mumbai from Lucknow my father was here since his youth he saw the bomb blast in the docks 1944 my mother came much later early 50s , they completely gave up the city of their birth building a new home a new life here ,I dont think they were considered themselves migrants , it was never a word we used to call each another we were Indians first and last.

Whatever my father built his first home was a shed like structure a Jhopadpati, or slum on a Hindu crematorium in Kurla.

He worked hard slogged living as a tenant at Wodehouse Road Colaba he bought a house at Strand Cimema which is still date our family home.

He gave us a great eduction , my brothers my sisters all in their respective niche comfortable self dependent.

We had a Marathi lady who world for us , we called her Aiee Mother at Wodehouse Road , we got our values from her as my mother was asthmatic sickly, she was a very old lady with a son called Tulsiram, they stayed at the military quarters opposite out tenanted house at Khatau Bhuvan.


The house belonged to the erstwhile Nawab Kashmiri family..

This was in 1955 or a little earlier the city was called Bombay.

And I am writing this as I undertake my third fast of Ramzan.


This was a blank post when I posted this picture yesterday.

And the lady in the picture is the symbol of hard-work honesty, she will never retire self dependent uncomplaining.

I emulate her and she teaches the mantra of my own survival in hard times I face but I am positive my life will change ..

This is my tribute to Aiee the lady who was part of my family many years ago.

I may not speak Marathi fluently I cant write or read my own mother tongue Urdu but this should not be used as yardstick to judge my love for the city where I stay.

I speak a larger language of Peace and Humanity..

I am a Indian by my religiosity a nationalist Muslim a Shia by birth.. the inheritance of pain I got as tears from my mothers womb we call Ghame Husain.

And I end this as I take my vow of beginning my fast ..

NO METER JAM WITH MARZIYA

NO METER JAM WITH MARZIYA

In time of trouble . . . He shall set me upon a rock.

Jesus Never Sleeps

i am the life and the resurrection
women of the world do not weep
i see your sufferings
like a shadow as they creep
a promise
i had to keep your
pain with a broom of hope
i want to sweep bring you
back home
from the garbage heap
rewards for
your struggle
you sacrifice
in my kingdom
you will reap
your eternal pain
i shall put to sleep

In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

for your souls upkeep

This is The Conscience of Our Nation Fast Asleep

137,082 items / 1,061,312 views


if god forbid
a chair man
who is in charge
of an event
prematurely
passes away in his
sleep
so what happens
do we postpone the event
or on the premature passing
away of the holier
than thou person
we bring in a new man
to make another clean sweep
because media
the rest of the world
openly calls
him a black sheep
the government
of the people
by the people
for the people has no time
to address this issue
yes the conscience
of our nation
fast asleep
while crooks
openly robbing
the common wealth
of our country
each one
in corruption
neck deep
an emotional appeal
made me laugh
a full page so steep
the same money could
have been given
for more sahara to the poor
living on a garbage heap
we search for scapegoats
while the culprits
are laughing
all the way
to the bank
makes my
soul weep
the queen
is angry
as honor
among nations
is profitability
ludicrously cheap

to rajiv soni dear friend from delhi

Street Photography Is Not About Pictures It Is Reliving Pain

137,082 items / 1,061,297 views

they shoot
the streets
tag it on
soul of flickr
a picture timely
clicked
slick
classic
hypnotic

but i shoot pain
burning at both ends
like a wick
you take what life gives you
a pain poetic dying
homeless hopeless
on the street very sick
a cross word puzzle cryptic
you solve it through
pictures we click
a medicine wheel
karmic captured
a a timeless
moment cosmic

The Last Temptation of Man


137,082 items / 1,061,297 views

there is no
bed in the hospital within
to accommodate him
as his life's light
grows dim
such is humanity
dark and grim
he looked into my eyes
i looked into despair
his chances of
making it to this shore
very slim
as a street photographer
i shot his soul
it was drowning
in the deep waters of fate
it could barely swim
a glass half empty
half filled to the brim

Flowers On The Soul of My Poetry

137,082 items / 1,061,293 views


bloggers street walk too
pimping the pathos
of the streets pain despair
in every avenue
a world within a world
through
the camera lens
they view
the tears
ripping the
fabric
of humanity
to a few
holistically healing
man who is
less known as man
but first as muslim
christian hindu
religiosity
diverse diktats
the most important
issue
killing
bombing
man his religious
places violently
they argue
born in a single cradle
triplets as enemies
as they grew
christians
muslims and jews

Jesus Is A Blogger Too

137,082 items / 1,061,280 views


all over bandra
hung on a cross
blogging
pain pathos
as a poem
for you
a friends feed
you subscribe
you dont
have to renew
his pictures
allover
the internet
on view
but jesus
is comfortable
in bandra
watching
the muslims
breaking fast
its true
lord ganeshas
being awaited
at the pandals
by the hindus
mount mary fair
round the corner
divinity
hope in a statue
but what he likes
most
is a two year old
child
practicing
taking
his pictures
along
with her
barefeet guru
god is one
whether you see
him as
brahma shiva
vishnu
god
is the color
of the sky
dressed in blue
god is the green earth
man could not outdo
when the world
of man comes
crashing down
there is god
to the rescue

I am on Flickr Instagram You Tube